The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) demolished more than 2,000 shanties in the Ruga village near Airport Road on Tuesday.
According to Muktar Galadima, the director of development control, the owners of the plots were asked to come and take ownership of their properties as soon as possible or risk having the plots cancelled.
He bemoaned the fact that after clearing the property, the owners do not develop the plots, resulting in shanties reappearing in the same spot after a few years. He argued that this is totally unacceptable.
However, he forewarned the squatters that bulldozers and other machinery would follow them wherever they went.
According to him: “This is part of general city exercise removing, removing shanties and illegal structures, obviously we have removed over 2,000 barchers.
“We are going to continue tomorrow because of circumstances beyond our control, we had to stop.
“The owners of the plot have to come and reclaim their properties or we will revoke them.
“For the squatters wherever they go we will follow them because if they think they are going to remove some of these items and go and settle somewhere else, we will follow them.
“For the owners of the properties they should come and take over their properties. Anyone who doesn’t come to take over their plots immediately, we will recommend them for revocation”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Comrade Ikharo Attah, said they had to halt the demolition in order for the members of the community to be able to park their belongings.
His words: “The FCTA through development control came here to remove illegal structures at Ruga community along the airport road, like what Director of Development Control has said they were here before and coming back shows consistency.
“Hopefully the removal will continue tomorrow. The Chief and others have come to appeal that they need to park out their belongings and vacate the place immediately that is why, we have decided to give them till tomorrow to be able to park their things.
“One thing about Ruga is about insecurity , they know they are not suppose to be here , some of them are living under high tension wires and some of them are living in people’s plots, river banks, rail corridors.
“The main problem about Ruga is insecurity, it serves as a hibernating for criminals, some areas are not good for aesthetic of the city
“Development Control would also identified the owners of the plots and ensure, they take them over and if they don’t, we will recommend for revocation”.
On sustainability, he noted, “Definitely they will move to another location but the bulldozers and FCT will move with them to take them out”, he said.